Democrats can win in 2018 and 2020, but only if we’re willing to take a hard look in the mirror, listen to everyone, and organize conversations that bring people together.

GREEN BAY, WI - Recent election victories may very well indicate the tides are turning, but if there is one lesson Democrats should have learned from 2016, it is that opposition to Trump, Walker and the Republican majority is not by itself enough to win elections. In order to successfully become the Republican Party’s worst nightmare in 2018, every person who values equality, fairness, and respect must come together to defeat them. But unity takes work and we must understand we are stronger when we fight together.

The fight today cannot be about restoring the status quo before Trump and the GOP took over. We must find a way to convince voters Democrats are the voice of all Americans, that we have concrete plans for the future, and that we care about every worker and worker’s family from coast to coast.

Democrats must be for something visionary to capture and harness the extraordinary outpouring of energy we are witnessing across the country in the form of protests and aggressive resistance.

We should boldly embrace, by stating without fear or shame, that weapons of war should be taken away, that the environment is too precious to destroy, that a woman has an inalienable right to choose, that immigrants are welcome, that the wealthy and corporations should pay their share of taxes, that universal health care is a fundamental right, that all workers deserve a livable wage, and every student is entitled to a high-quality education.

Democrats must be the party that fights to make sure that taxpayer dollars are spent on public good, not private gain and demand an ethical, accountable, and transparent government at all levels. We must stand up against insider deals and the politicians who push them. When government makes sweetheart deals with big corporations, or wastes taxpayer money on programs that don’t work, Democrats must be the ones to say, “Enough!”

The party must propose an ambitious yet concrete economic plan because this is the way to restore the promise of the American Dream. The plan must deliver major reforms to our financial services industry, massive infrastructure projects for schools, roads and transit, historic investments in job training and education, major commitments to science, space exploration, and technology, and a complete overhaul of our health care system.

The serious problems our country faces won’t be fixed by sentiment, no matter how appealing the rhetoric. At a time when voters are so understandably angry, Democratic leaders must be much more visibly indignant, must speak plainly about what needs to be done, and then must act decisively.

We can win in 2018 and 2020, but only if we’re willing to take this hard look in the mirror. It may be hard to see right now, but if we put working families first, we can be powerful and effective enough to stand against the excesses of these troubling times. We can, in the most inspiring and change-making way, articulate a clear and credible vision of our future that is better, fairer, and stronger by far.

What we need is a Democratic Party that is willing to listen to everyone and organize conversations that bring people together. Because at the end of the day, we’re a team.